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Middle East

UN won't play any role in Iraqi Kurds' independence vote

The United Nations said it will not be "engaged in any way or form" in the process surrounding the independence referendum in Iraq's northern semi-autonomous Kurdish region planned for September. The statement by the U.N. special mission to Iraq, or UNAMI, released late Wednesday could cast...

'Plankton explosion' turns Istanbul's Bosphorus turquoise

A sudden change in the color of the Bosphorus Strait that divides the continents of Europe and Asia in Turkey's largest city Istanbul has surprised residents, with scientists putting it down to a surge in a species of plankton across the Black Sea. The sudden transformation of the usually...

Turkey opens Syrian border crossings for Ramadan visits

Thousands of Syrian refugees are returning home for a visit during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, after Turkey temporarily opened two border crossings with its war-torn neighbor. For some of the younger ones travelling back, the visit means seeing some of their relatives, even siblings,...